Remembering Adam Andre: A founding member of lacrosse in Coquitlam

After decades of affiliation with Coquitlam Junior Adanacs, the former general manager and jack-of-all-trades volunteer Adam Andre died at the age of 79 on Sunday at Eagle Ridge Hospital.

In a conversation with The Dispatch, Scott Wortley, current general manager for the Lacrosse team. paid homage to Andre.

He said it’s hard to put a finger on one single thing that would be missed about him because of his many contributions.

“The Coquitlam Junior Adanacs started in the ‘80s and what started then still has people under its wings. This goes to show the contributions he made to the team, even though he had long stepped down from his association with it,” Wortley said.

Wortley was a player for the junior Adanacs when Andre was General Manager so he knew him personally through their common love for lacrosse.

Andre seemed unapproachable to some, Wortley recalled, but he was the polar opposite of that in reality. He headed the team back in the day when it was nicknamed the Mighty Mighty Rowdies. Before stepping down from his volunteering in the early 2000s to spend time with his family, Andre helped players get to games and made sure they had good equipment.

The Andre family has and continues to be associated with the Junior Adanacs. Andre’s grandson is playing for the team while his son currently runs the senior lacrosse team.

Although the exact cause of his death remains unknown, Wortley mentioned that sickness along with age played a role.

He is considered one of the founding members who helped shape the future of lacrosse in Coquitlam.